three-ring circus

or three-ringed circus

[ three-ring ]

/ ˈθriˌrɪŋ /

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See synonyms for three-ring circus on Thesaurus.com

noun

a circus having three adjacent rings in which performances take place simultaneously.

something spectacular, tumultuous, entertaining, or full of confused action: Our family reunions are always three-ring circuses.

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Origin of three-ring circus

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85

Words nearby three-ring circus

three-quarter binding, three-quarter nelson, three-quarter time, three-quarter turn stair, threequel, three-ring circus, Three Rivers, three R's, three's a crowd, threes and eights, threescore

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use three-ring circus in a sentence

A lot of people ring in the New Year with vows to lose weight and exercise.
How Skinny Is Too Skinny? Israel Bans ‘Underweight’ Models|Carrie Arnold|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Their three-day scientific outing was paid for by Epstein and was big success.
Sleazy Billionaire’s Double Life Featured Beach Parties With Stephen Hawking|M.L. Nestel|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Three on-the-record stories from a family: a mother and her daughters who came from Phoenix.
I Tried to Warn You About Sleazy Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein in 2003|Vicky Ward|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
One of the other cops fired three times and those who were still able to give chase did.
Shot Down During the NYPD Slowdown|Michael Daly|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

So I was looking back at the years, and that really popped out at me, those three years.
Patton Oswalt on Fighting Conservatives With Satire|William O’Connor|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
It is thinner than that of chronic bronchitis, and upon standing separates into three layers of pus, mucus, and frothy serum.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
I waited three months more, in great impatience, then sent him back to the same post, to see if there might be a reply.
The Boarded-Up House|Augusta Huiell Seaman
There are three things a wise man will not trust: the wind, the sunshine of an April day, and woman's plighted faith.
Pearls of Thought|Maturin M. Ballou
In cross-section the burrows varied from round (three inches in diameter) to oval (three inches high and four inches wide).
Summer Birds From the Yucatan Peninsula|Erwin E. Klaas
It separates into three layers upon standing—a brown deposit, a clear fluid, and a frothy layer.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd

British Dictionary definitions for three-ring circus

three-ring circus

noun US and Canadian

a circus with three rings in which separate performances are carried on simultaneously

a situation of confusion, characterized by a bewildering variety of events or activities

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with three-ring circus

three-ring circus

A situation of complete confusion, as in It was a three-ring circus, with the baby crying, the dog barking, both telephones ringing, and someone at the front door. This term alludes to a circus where three rings or arenas are featuring performances simultaneously. Perhaps invented by show business impresario P.T. Barnum, the term was extended to other confused situations by about 1900.

three-ring circus

or three-ringed circus

Origin of three-ring circus

Words nearby three-ring circus

Words related to three-ring circus

How to use three-ring circus in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for three-ring circus

Other Idioms and Phrases with three-ring circus